Thursday 31 January 2019

Joined-Up Thinking

I hear a lot of people using the phrase “joined-up thinking” to describe that state where things have clearly been thought through and all possibilities and contingencies considered.

What people mean is that one has the idea, but without a process of working out what it entails, problems are likely to arise from any number of sources.  This is another way of talking about project management.  I always think of the first verse of Rudyard Kipling’s well-known poem The Elephant’s Child:

I keep six honest serving men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.

Following this framework helps to sort through moving an idea from the concept to completion.  We ask questions such as “Why are we doing this in the first place?” “What needs to be done”?  Who needs to do it?” “When does it need to be done by?” “How will it be done?”  What needs to be done before it to make it happen?” Whose approval will we need?” “Who will be affected?” “What if this happens instead of this?” and so on.  The more questions we ask (and succeed in answering), the higher the chances of things working out.  

Why don’t things work out? Usually because people don’t want to ask the “awkward” questions for fear of antagonising the boss, or because they may not know which questions to ask.  Good leaders ask the “right questions”.  If you ever watch them in action, you find that they tend to ask a lot of questions and also listen carefully to the answers, often asking supplementary questions based on what they’ve just heard.   

The next time you’re faced with bringing a project to life, ask yourself: 
  • Why are we doing this (what’s the result we want)? 
  • What needs to be done?
  • By When?
  • By Whom?
  • How?
  • What needs to be done before it?
  • Where will resources come from?
  • How will we know if we’ve succeeded?
These questions all relate to the three main pillars of any project: Time, Money and Resources.  We can ask more as we go along.  


I have spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management.  I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My websiteprovides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.

  

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